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MAY
10, 1924
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
Sales Topics to Be Outstanding in
Ohio Merchants' Program in September
Three Business Sessions to Be Held at Annual Meeting of That Body in Cleveland—Local Mer-
chants Use Association Service—Duo-Scope Featured by the Dreher Piano Co.
CLEVELAND, O., May 6.—Experiences of
local music merchants who are going after
business—and getting it—at a time when the
business is both hard to find and harder to get,
are expected to figure in the September conven-
tion here of the Music Merchants' Association of
Ohio. Though entertainment will be an im-
portant part of this gathering, the new arrange-
ment for business sessions as propounded by
President Charles H. Yahrling will make it the
most instructive and helpful of business-builders
the Ohio contingent has yet gathered at.
There will be three business sessions accord-
ing to the present plan, at which at least two
high-point topics will be discussed, a list of
these now being compiled by the members, so
that the six most important subjects concerning
the music merchant may be taken up and acted
upon.
Meanwhile Chairman George M. Ott, for the
entertainment division, is laying out a program
that will keep the members busy at all times
when they are not attending to business. Mr.
Ott, C. H. Randolph, President Stelker, of the
local association, and Secretary Rexford C.
Hyre will visit the road houses in a week or so
to decide which of those near Cleveland offers
the best accommodations for a night's entertain-
ment.
A list of subjects deemed most necessary for
consideration at business sessions has been sent
to members. These subjects are: "Maximum
selling terms," "Are talking machine record-
makers turning out too many numbers each
month?" "Credit risks," "Trade-in problems,"
"State legislation needs," "Retail price main-
tenance," "Advantages or disadvantages of the
one-line talking machine business," "Advertising
and the results and prestige it brings," "Radio
and its relation to the music business," "Ac-
counting," "Business systems" and "Budgets."
Whether the majority of members include
the last two items as worthy of first consider-
ation it is probable that an exhibit of business-
building systems will be held, the exhibit to be
contributed by members who have successful
systems, these systems perhaps to be distributed
among all members later.
Inverted Piano Brings Business
Though it may not be considered as a "sys-
tem" in the strict sense, as a temporary boost
for new business the experience of H. B. Bruck,
of the H. B. Bruck & Sons Co., A. B. Chase
and allied lines representative, may be worthy
of mention right here. During the last week
Mr. Bruck bethought himself of some novelty
in advertising that would attract attention and
draw the interest of the buyer. He made up
an advertisement and by accident laid the cut of
a piano upside down on the layout. The idea
crystalized into action, and when the copy went
to the printer the instructions explicitly were to
insert the cut upside down. The advertisement
stood out in the page like a sore thumb. Hardly
was the paper on the street when everybody
who knows Mr. Bruck began calling him up to
advise of the terrible mistake the composing
:<.room had made.
;. "It may have been an awful mistake, but it
was no mistake to think that it did not do any
good," says Mr. Bruck. "Before morning was
over we sold three pianos on the strength of
"this advertisement and have several prospects
who look like good buyers as a result also. It
may not be a new idea, and it may not work a
second time, but it proves that something differ-
ent brings in the business."
Complain of Excess Roll and Record Releases
Another item not down on the convention
program, but which may receive a good deal
of attention is the question of the surplus of
"hits" that both record makers and roll man-
ufacturers are turning out each month. Piano
and talking machine merchants have been urged
from many quarters to feature the good and
lasting music in their selling arguments. Yet
they must stock so heavily on the popular num-
bers, that whether they have large or small
capital, they are pretty well tied up in this con-
nection. The time is not far distant, at least so
local merchants believe, when a curtailment in
the popular numbers must be made by manufac-
turers, or the merchant will have to abandon
the effort to perpetuate interest in the instru-
ment through the use of better music.
Duo-Scope Arouses Interest
Cleveland has had the opportunity of viewing
the latest publicity novelty to illustrate the
merits of the reproducing piano, in the presenta-
tion of the Duo-Scope, an Aeolian Co. device,
by the Dreher Piano Co. This device requires
the use of a series of rolls on the Duo-Art
piano, which music synchronizes with a series of
ten sets of colored slides, whereon are shown
points of interest in as many countries of the
world. Robert Jones, advertising manager of
the Dreher Piano Co., presented this combina-
tion musical lecture before the Cleveland Nor-
mal School and Lincoln High School, and stu-
dents at both institutions were deeply impressed,
with the added satisfaction of believing that
many prospects may be developed from these
showings. A private showing was given em-
ployes of the House of Dreher, and they, too,
marveled at the excellent combination of music
and picture. The scenes shown have been taken
in England, Bermuda, Ireland, Switzerland,
Italy, Egypt, Spain, Russia, Japan. After the
Cleveland showing the slides were sent to the
M. V. De Foreest Co., Sharon, Pa., for exhibi-
tion at the National Educational Association
meeting.
Using Association Service
Good use is being made of a service added
by Music Merchants' Association of Ohio by
Cleveland members. Cards with the imprint
"Keep your piano in tune" have been distrib-
uted. These cards also bear the name of the
association so that any mercenary motives on
the part of the dealer cannot be laid by the
buying public. The cards have been helpful
already in acquainting people with the fact that
their pianos need tuning, and come out at a
timely season when all pianos need tuning most.
Some good advertising value is seen by the
industry in and about Cleveland in the dona-
tion of pianos by the Baldwin and the Bram-
bach to the State Music Memory Contest. The
former instrument went to Hilliards (O.) school
and the other to St. Mary's (O.) school. The
Yahrling & Raynor Co., Youngstown, O.,
donated a cornet, the winner of which sent his
thanks.
Hahne Reports Record
Month on Grand Sales
Figures Show 50 Per Cent Increase Over April
of 1923—New Monthly Record Set by Sales
Force
A record month for grand business was-com-
pleted in April by the piano department of
Hahne & Co., Newark, N. J., according to W. O.
Black, manager of that department. A com-
parison of last year's figures shows an increase
of at least 50 per cent over the gross business
in April, 1923.
The boom is due partly to the acquisition of
two experienced piano men, William Covington
and C. G. Morningstern, late with Mayer Bros.
& Bramley, New York, who joined the Hahne
forces early this Spring.
.
- ...
9
62nd Year
LAUTER
It is interesting to know
that business is good with
ninety-five per cent of the
Lauter-Humana dealers in
this country.
They do not seem to feel
the dull periods that affect
other dealers. This, of
course, is due to the fact
that their business is built
—not on "special" sales—
but on QUALITY!
Many dealers have reported that
as soon as they installed the
Lauter - Humana their business
took"a decided turn for the better.
This is because quality customers
are always able to buy.
LAUTER CO.
591 Broad St., Newark, N.J 4
Manufacturers of
Fine Pianos